Competition Winning Design for Brambletye School

Guy Hollaway Architects are pleased to announce their competition winning design for Brambletye School. Brambletye is a Preparatory School in East Grinstead, West Sussex, which recently hosted a competition to design a new Art School and Library to strengthen the schools facilities.

The new building sits on the hillside with views out over the countryside. Sitting within a new courtyard space, the front façade, inspired by Mondrian, links art and architecture, giving a hint at the use of the building from its exterior. This buildings' ambition is to truly inspire young learners to be creative. The large entrance foyer doubles up as a small gallery, and is open to the ground floor Library, encouraging pupils to enter and be inspired from this self-learning environment. The spaces within are connected by a small amphitheatre formed within the steps, incorporating a slide which has been designed to make the library fun and encourage every learner. This is even more important as the library will also be the new home to the SEN support learning department. Within the library are bespoke pods for one-on-one learning and both designated group and individual reading spaces next to an external deck looking out, benefitting from the views across the landscape.

Brambletye's renowned art departments new home will be on the first floor with the benefit of large north lights which allow soft natural daylight to filter into the ply lined space. Individual pods continuing the architectural forms of the learning pods below create pottery and photography spaces, whilst the whole space shares inspirational views across the Surry landscape.